Method for preparing drapery samples and case for same

ABSTRACT

Drapery samples made of large pieces of fabric have a strip of stiffening material attached to opposite ends, and the pieces are fan folded to reduce the space required for storage. A drapery sample case provided with a rod in the upper side permits the fan-folded drapery samples to hang in the case by means of clamp hanger.

United States Patent Inventors Dawnelle L. Kelley;

James M. Kelley, both of 777 Kelley Drive,

Broomfield, Colo. 80020 Appl. No. 664,989 Filed Sept. 1, 1967 Patented Aug. 3, 1971 METHOD FOR PREPARING DRAPERY SAMPLES AND CASE FOR SAME 3 Claims, 7 Drawing F1 5.

us. c1 223/28 1m. c1 ..A4lh 43/00,

I D06j 1/00 Field of Search 1 12/427,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,126,834 8/1938 Steinberger 160/84 X 2,769,584 11/1956 Zinamon et al.... 223/30 2,817,468 12/1957 Brown 223/30 2,850,218 9/1958 Gibson et al. 223/30 3,369,589 2/1968 Benkert 160/84 2,623,582 12/1952 l-landley 223/30 X 2,711,847 6/1955 Kessler 223/30 3,011,174 12/1961 Schaerer 223/30X Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Assistant ExaminerGeorge V. Larkin Attarney-Richard D. Law

ABSTRACT: Drapery samples of large pieces of fabric have a strip of stiffening material attached to opposite ends, and the pieces are fan folded to reduce the space required for storage. A drapery sample case provided with a rod in the upper side permits the fan-folded drapery samples to hang in the case by means of clamp hanger.

PATENTEB nus 3 I97! 3,596,814

INVIz'N'I ()R. DAWNELLE L. KELLEY BY JAMES M. KELLEY @ZMAQ vATTORNEY muons];

' .of draperies, carpeting etc: to thehousegiofic'e offlike where; to

' fabriczsamples. The invention; also,-prov'ide"s-fora carryin easily I supporting-drapery fabric samples in the caseacco rding 'to the nu; "Aamcnni'aav'sameas sunn cast: roasamt Traditionally, interiordecorators'and carry samples such decorators discuss decoratingbr re'decoratingaot the premises with theirclientele, lt is,--of .otirsqpreferableto f; 3596:1214" f 4 if I show such draperyand carpetingin the setting-in which it will display. Usuallytheswatches of the to'o- Y small for aecurate displayof the-fabric.;colors-and patternn: iparticularly when; displayed or with"'the=- carp etingq ind/or paint samples which may th'e carpetor =paint I "Accordingto presentjnventioniwehave provided a methodof preparing largegdrapery'samples forcarrying and colors too dominant for effectivechoice' drapery fabric:

display, which drapery. samples are,largeenoughtoeffectively' display and show the color pattern for'thermajorityof I be installed..l-leretofore' onlyjsmall swatches of drapery fabric samples have been carried in a bundlefor'ltrans'portation and case for a plurality of such samples'maintalnin'g the samples-in I orderly fashion so that they'may. be-easily'removeid fromthe.

container. for displaying 'and I returned. method :ofth e'in I vention involves providing largesamplesofthe fabric drapery," edging .thezsampleswitha stiffening edging on opposed-edges; fan-folding sample 'intoanarrowgelongate'd rectanguiar 1;

mi "R W breuine the-sample so that it maintains 1 l fold. The arehungiin. the fan fold for. storage andztransportationin the :sample case: flhesamples ma'ybe r ss out to their fullwidtli' nu-swayin "they are easilytolded back into fan fold'sha'pe i' 5 lt' is therefore; anobject of the- -invention-to provide;

provide "a method ofpreparingdarge; fully opcnableidrape v samples in'a fan fold whereby a-plurality arms samples may method ofpreparinglargqfully openabier'drapery samplesfor :7

carrying auddisplaying. Another object ofzthe;inventionis to o be suspended'from an. -ov'erhead supportin-a can ier for-easy samples frornthe track. i 4

' and other objects of the-invention may "be readily taken along-sectionline-M of FIGr-Z; if

' no. ,4 a an enlarged detailed view. ofa M and trolley-for invention;- a

. and readyaccess'to individual samplea-A objetit'of the 1 invention isfto provide a carrying fora plurality 'offabrie sample's-in which "a monorail Mick isrnounted -in v partofthesample case and a plurality oftrolleys are mounted onthetrack for individually supporting 'a plurality offabric ascertained by referring to followingdescription and'a'pattached creased pellon forms'a substantially permanent pleat when formed in the-strip material and the attached fabric. One very'eflective "form *of the pellon is the iron-on type, and preferablya strip of about 2ri inches wide is "ironed onto the edg'esofthe fabric'layed out flat, as shown in FIG. 5. It is, also, preferable'to have the length -l-l'of the fabric about inches to 'maintain the heightofth 'carrying case of'a convenient sizes-The" the fabric may be generally about 22 inches. The fabric with the pellon edges-is thenfan' foldedfas shown in FIG. 6, to provide a seriesof folds l0a,"l0b", 100, etc. each of which is slightly 'les stha'n' i inches'widefll'his provides fa fanfoldedfelongated sample'such as shown in FIG. 3.'The fan fold effect iii maintained bysteamironing the folded fabric or by otherwiseipressing pleatsinto the edging and the fabric. The pellon edgingwill 'retainthe pressed pleats and tend-to return the-attached fabric-sample to'th' fan foldconfiguration' after the'sample' has been displayed'asa flat piece. it is important to Bconomicallyflhe use-of large samples instead'ofsmall swattthesha's proved to bebeneficial'to the fabric dealers. Small-fabric swatches-have heretofore'been given to dec Jl'Citor's'g'zsalesmen; and-thelike, whereas the larger samples made according tothe invention may b'e-sold tothe decoratorsor salestnenwho'in-tumusethe'samplesfor display or after the y sampleshave outworn'the ir usefulnessas sales samples; they may be sold to others for'their value aspiece's of cloth.'Thus, the'fabric dealers are-no'longer-giving'away substantial quanti ties'offabric,"-and -.the;fabriclsalcsmen or-interiojr decorators .may recoup atieast 'someof the, cost of the'sales'by selling the sampleiaizoddaiusaffabiic Tl'l'e' stor'agefi and: carrying" container of the "invention is 'a relatively thin; rejctangularcase-whichflnone form, opensinto 'approximately halves: The case, shown'in-general by numeral 20,:"ir tcludes= one 'half' 2 1 and=the otherhalf 22 which are hinged-togetherby'hinges 24 mounted at oneedge-of the case. Conventional luggage latches '23 p'rovide means for maintainingthe'caseclo' when not'in use. A pair of-double ha'ndles 25 'provide {the facilityfor-carrying'the case. The use of the double-handles insures that the casewill r'emain closed while carrying eventho'ugh the latches-should 'c'ome 'unlatched. The case is much likea suitcase but is divided into two halves and two halves are substantially mirrorimages of 'each" other therefore ofabo'ut the'same' sizef- As shown in FIGE 3, the one half 223s provided with a suspended monorail system, shown in general by'nurne'ral which providesmeansfor effectively hanging the samples'in the case. The monorail is in effect a double l-beam with spacedclips 3 land 32"along the length of case-for, suspending 'the l bea'm from' the case top. The clips:-fasten--to the' top flange-33 'of the'monorail system and bolts'34 and nuts35 hold the'clips'to thetop ofthe case and FIG; 5 is a rear elevational view;of the' fabric'partially' preparedforfan folding; I

FIG; 6 is afan-folded'sample of drapery fabricpreparedaci cordin'gtotheinventiomand 5 1' I v FIG.-7.is aperspecti've view of a'clamp arranged for holding drapery fabricinthe carryingcontainerm r The :method of the invention provides -for theuse of the" largeg fully openable", draperysamples, sunamiuan;

supportthe monorail-system; The top flange 33 is separated the middlel flange36by a short web. A main web 39 separatesthe middleflahge from'a lowerflange 40..-A trolley arrangement includes a pair of wheels 41 and 42 'secured' together by'rnea'ns of 'a spring-framemember which holds thetwowheels together on the ammo-and permits the same :10 tuit on the lower usa e. Theaspringiframe' 44 provides a loop below'the monorail systeinfor supporting drapery fabrics hooks on the monorail trolley system.

One form of a clip'forholdingthe-fabric samples on'the trolley is shown'in FIG. 7, andthis includes a back frame member is cut tolprovide a lengthli (shownin l lfifiywhich-willhang 50 ha l iprotmding' teeth 52; "A toothed, front frame in a container 20 without touching thebottomythewidthof thesamplel determines the number of folds.- The sample shownin "0:5 includes a body of fabric material JQwith-sstrip of etlgirig materlal fl-securedrto thetopthereof and a s'trip'of holdin'g the front membersgainst theback member when a .sdsins material 14 secured to the bottom; The edgingis; a psicover 58 is'pushed toward the'back member. This provides a member-SI is pivotally mounted by' meansof a pivot pin 55 to the bacltmemberrand a portion '57 of the back member folded-under the from member provides aspring tension for spring loaded clamp for clamping a fabric sample between the jaws of the clamp. A wire hook member 59 is arranged to hook over the sling frame of the trolley and suspend the sample from the monorail.

The spring frame member 44 of the trolley system provides a simple and easy means for attaching and disconnecting the trolley from the monorail. It also, provides a convenient hanger for suspending the clamp of the drapery fabric on the trolley. The trolley permits easy movement for the samples back and forth across the case for easy access to the various samples. In actual use a series of fabric samples are provided in the case and generally arranged with the various hues of each color together. This makes an arrangement which is similar to a color chart and the various shades of fabric may be quickly and easily located, then removed from the case, fully opened for comparing with colors of paint, carpeting, and the like. The samples are easily folded, the clamp replaced and returned to the case.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, there is no intent to limit the spirit or the scope of the invention to 4 p ltecise detail so set forth except as defined in the following claim a We claim:

l. The method for preparing large, fully openable drapery samples for carrying in a sample case or the like and displaying full width display of said sample.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said sample is folded with folds of not more than about 4 inches.

3. The method'of claim 1 wherein said folds are steam" pressed into both said binding and said fabric sample.

said folded sample for storagein a carrying container andfo'r easy opening for a H 

1. The method for preparing large, fully openable, drapery samples for carrying in a sample case or the like and displaying and the like comprising cutting relatively large rectilinear samples of fabric, attaching a temporarily pleatable binding to opposed edges of said sample, folding said sample in a fan fold in which the folds are substantially less than the width of said sample, heat pressing said folds into the fan-folded sample so as to temporarily pleat said sample in the fan fold configuration, and attaching a removable hanger to said folded sample for storage in a carrying container and for easy opening for a full width display of said sample.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which said sample is folded with folds of not more than about 4 inches.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said folds are steam pressed into both said binding and said fabric sample. 